Vortex tube arrangement



Aug. 19, 1969 w. TOELKE ETAL 3,461,676

VORTEX TUBE ARRANGEMENT Filed on. :50, 1967 LESTER w TOELKE IRVEN E. HANSON V INVENTORS R, ....K an? 4, v awn 2gb? em in 5 $8M Ev N QQV unadu & Mnmuwl A T TORNEYS United States Patent 3,461,676 VORTEX TUBE ARRANGEMENT Lester W. Toelke and Irven E. Hanson, Houston, Tex., assignors to Encon Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Texas Filed Oct. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 678,786 Int. Cl. F25b 9/02 U.S. Cl. 62-5 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vortex tube apparatus incorporating means for reducing the noise level of the air discharged through the cold tube and a reduced bore arrangement in the tube which conveys the hot air from the vortex tube converter apparatus with means in at least one of the reduced bores to aid in straightening the hot air before discharge through a control valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the present invention relates to improvements in a vortex tube apparatus wherein a vortex tube converter is provided for receiving a gas from an inlet tube and converting it into a hot portion and a cooler portion along with a tube communicating with one side of the vortex converter for receiving the hot portion and a tube communicating with the other side of the vortex tube converter for receiving the cooler portion of the gas and means provided in the outlet of the vortex tube converter which communicates with the tube that conveys the cooler portion of the gas for reducing the noise level therein along with a reduced bore arrangement and a fixed blade in at least one of the reduced bores extending longitudinally thereof to reduce the tubulence in the tube that conveys the hotter portion of the gas from the converter through a control valve outlet.

Description of the prior art The phenomenon of the vortex tube converter is well known as illustrated in the patent to Ranque No. 1,952,281 issued on Mar. 27, 1934.; C. D. Fulton No. 3,173,273 issued on Mar. 17, 1965; Fulton No. 3,208,229; and Bramley No. 2,581,168 issued on Jan. 1, 1952. While Fulton in Patent 3,208,229 discloses Merkulovs statement relative to the desirability for straightening the gas flow in a vortex converter, none of the prior art provides a fixed arrangement in the tubes for positively overcoming this defect. Also, with vortex tube apparatus heretofore employed, the temperature range has been somewhat limited, thus restricting the applicability of the vortex tube apparatus in its use. Also, since the increased velocity of the air in the vortex chamber approaches a sonic level velocity, the cooler portion of the air exhaust from the vortex converter has a noise level annoying to a user when it is fed into a helmet or other portion of a covering for an individual.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is related to an arrangement for a vortex tube apparatus which overcomes the problems pointed out in connection with the prior art noted above. Specifically, the invention provides an arrangement in the tube that communicates the hot air flow from the vortex converter so that it is stabilized or straightened prior to discharge through a control valve in the end of the hot air tube for controlling the flow of air therefrom and for reducing back pressure through the valve.

Additionally, the constructtiton of the present invention provides means for stabilizing or straightening the air flow prior to discharge from the cold air tube to reduce the noise level and thereby inhibit discomfort to a user where it is employed in connection with a helmet or in connection with a covering of any type to be worn by an individual.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the arrangement in the hot tube and the arrangement used in connection with the cold tube for accomplishing desired results of the present inventlon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 illustrating the reduced bores and a straightener in one of them;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 to illustrate the preferred means of reducing the noise level of the gas that is discharged through the conduit that communicates the cooler portion of the gas from the converter; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of FIG. 1 to illustrate some of the details of the vortex tube converter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 wherein the invention is illustrated generally by the numeral 10. The vortex converter is illustrated at 11 as having an annular body adapted to be received within the bore 13 of the housing 14. An inlet tube 15' communicates to the bore 13 of the housing 14, and it will be noted that the body 11 of the converter is provided with an annular flange 16 which defines the end of an annular cutout portion 17 on the outer periphery of body 11 which extends along the body of the converter at least a length to span the opening 15a in the inlet 15, thus providing access to the swirl chamber 20 by means of the tangential slots 21 formed in the annular lip 22 which surrounds the swirl chamber 20 and which abuts the end 13a of the bore 13 in housing 14. The swirl chamber 26 is formed by a bore in one end of the converter 11 as shown in the drawings.

An additional groove 24 on the outer periphery of the converter 11 on the other side of flange 16 is provided for receiving the seal ring 25 therein to form a seal between the converter 11 and the housing 14.

Suitable means such as a gasket 26 formed of plastic or the like abuts the end of the converter 11 and the seal ring 25. The outer end portion 13b of the bore 13 is threaded as shown for receiving the enlarged head 30 of the tube 31, the head 30 being provided with threads 30a for engaging with the threads 13b of the housing 14. When the head 30 is threadedly engaged in bore 13, its inner end abuts the plastic gasket 26 as shown in FIG. 1 to form a seal with the seal ring 25.

Gas or air is fed through inlet tube 15, discharged through opening 15a, and is conducted through tangential slots 21 into swirl chamber 20 to form a hot gas portion and a cooler gas portion as well known in the art.

A bore 11a is provided concentrically of the converter 11 and gases discharged through this bore form the cooler portion of the gases from the converter 11, whereas gases discharged into the bore of the tube 32 form the hot portion of the gas from the vortex converter 11.

As previously mentioned, the velocity of the gas within the swirl chamber 20 approaches sonic velocity so that when it is discharged through the orifice 11a, 9. noise is created that can be quite irritating to the user, particularly when the present invention is employed as a means of cooling or controlling the temperature in the helmet a of a welder, or in any other type of helmet or apparatus which is to be worn by the user.

To overcome this, means represented by the numeral 35 are provided, such means being in the form of a blade as shown in FIG. 3 which is press fitted into the counterbore 36 of converter 11 that communicates with the orifice or smaller opening 11a in converter 11. It will be noted that the blade 35 is held in a plane so that it is on a diameter of the counterbore 36. It may be also coincident with a plane along the center line of the tube 31 which communicates the cooler portion of the gas from the generator 11 to the exterior of the apparatus.

Additionally, as can be seen from FIG. 4, it will be noted that the plane of the stationary blade 35 may be in alignment with the center line or longitudinal axis of the inlet tube 15. The blade 35 serves to reduce the swirling effect of the cool air and thereby reduce the noise prior to discharging it through the tube 31 which communicates with the converter 11 by means of the bore 36 and small opening 11a. In the form of the invention illustrated, it will be noted that in effect the blade 35 is positioned between the swirl chamber 20 of converter 11 and the opening 31a in the tube 31 which communicates the cool portion of the gas from the converter 11.

In FIG. 2, it will be noted that an annular restriction member designated generally at 40 is arranged adjacent the end portion of the tube 32 by any suitable means such as inserting the restriction member 4d within the end portion of tube 32 and brazing it is place. The restriction member 48 has a tubular portion 40a which extends longitudinally within the tube 32, and it has a bore 46b smaller in diameter than the internal diameter 43 of tube 32. Extending within the restricted bore dill) is a fixed blade 41 which serves to aid in straightening or stabilizing the hotter portion of the gas conducted through the tube 32 from the converter 11. The blade 41 should be mounted in bore 40b in a plane which extends diametrically of the bore 40b and on the center line of the bore of the tube 32. Also, the length of the blade 41 which extends diametrically within the restricted bore 4% of tubular portion 401; is substantially short in relation to the over-all length of the tube 32 which receives the hot portion of the gas from the converter 11 and the blade 41 extends substantially throughout the length of restriction 4-0. It will be noted that the tubular portion 4th: of restriction member 40 terminates in an annular shoulder 40a against which the gas in tube 32 impinges to further serve as a means of straightening or stabilizing the gas prior to its discharge. At the rear termination 41a of the fixed straightener blade 41, there is formed another annular shoulder 45 in restriction member 40 for the air to impinge against. A bore 46 extends from shoulder 45 and has a diameter smaller than bore 40!), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first restricted bore 401) and second restricted bore 46 aid in straightening or stabilizing the air flow prior to its discharge to the control valve member d. The restricted bore 46 flares outwardly at its end to form the valve seat 47. Extending from the termination of the valve seat 47 to the end 32b of the hot tube 32 is a discharge opening 43 in which is received the control valve member referred to generally by the numeral 50. This control valve member includes an end portion 51 that is of smaller diameter than the discharge passage or opening 48 with a conforming surface 51a on the end thereof for abutting against the seat 47 and closing off flow through the outlet tube 32.

Passage means 53 shown in dotted line extends from the outer end of the valve control member 50 and communicates with the passage 48 through ports 53a at a position spaced downstream from the seat 47. A portion 48b of the passage 48 is threaded, and suitable thread means 50b are provided on the control valve 50 for engaging with the threaded portion 48b to position the control valve 50 therein. The ports 53a are upstream of the threaded portion 48b of the passage 48.

It will be noted that seal means 64 are provided between the control valve 50 and the discharge passage 48 downstream of the threads for sealing off between the tube 32 and control valve 50.

In using the present invention, particularly in cooling individuals or clothing or helmets worn by individuals, it has been found that the arrangement of the restricted bores as shown in the drawing and described hereinabove with relation to the end or adjacent the end of the outlet tube 32 which communicates the hot portion of the gas to atmosphere, or a conduit for use, from the converter 1.1 as well as the fixed arrangement of the blade 35 provides an arrangement which gives a maximum temperature dilferential between the cold output and the hot output gas portion of the generator.

Also, it has been found that the shoulder arrangement in the hot tube portion serves to straighten the swirling gases before they are discharged through the control valve 50 thereby forming a minimum of back pressure.

The fixed blades 35 and 41 may be aligned with each other extending along a plane which coincides with the internal diameter of each tube 31 and 32, respectively, and the blade 35 serves to reduce the noise level in the cooler gas portion discharged from the converter.

We claim:

1. In a vortex tube apparatus having a vortex converer for receiving a gas from an inlet tube and converting it into a hot portion and a cooler portion, and a tube communicating with one side of the vortex generator for receiving the hot portion and a tube communicating with the other side of the vortex converter for receiving the cooler portion of the gas, the improvement comprising a single fixed blade extending across the opening in the tube which receives the cooler portion of the gas to reduce the noise level of the cooler portion of the gas.

2. The invention of claim I wherein said fixed blade is aligned in the same plane as a plane extending coincident with the longitudinal axis of the inlet tube.

3. The invention of claim 1 wheerin said blade is positioned in a plane which is coincident with the diameter of the tube which receives the cooler portion of the gas.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said blade is positioned between the vortex converter and the tube which receives the cooler portion so that the cooler gas portion contacts said blade before it is discharged into the tube which receives the cooler gas portion.

5. The invention of claim 1 including a fixed blade adjacent the discharge end of the tube which receives the hot portion of the gas.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said blade extends within the tube that receives the hot portion of the gas, with the length of said blade being substantially short in relation to the over-all length of the tube which receives the hot portion of the gas, and said blade being positioned in a plane which coincides with a plane through the center of the tube.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said fixed blade extending across the opening in the tube which receives the cooler portion of the gas and said fixed blade within the tube that receives the hot portion of the gas are in vertical alignment.

8. The combination of claim 6 including a control valve secured in the discharge end of the tube that receives the hotter portion of the gas.

9. In a vortex tube apparatus having a vortex converter for receiving a gas from an inlet tube and converting it into a hot portion and a cooler portion, and a tube communicating with one side of the vortex converter for receiving the hot portion and a tube communicating with the other side of the vortex converter for receiving the cooler portion of the gas, the improvement comprising a first annular restriction forming a first bore within the tube which receives the hot gas portion that is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the tube which receives the hot gas portion, said bore being of a length which is substantially less than the over-all length of the tube which receives the hot gas portion, a fixed blade extending sub- 5 stantially throughout the longitudinal extent of the smaller bore defined by said first annular restriction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,891 8/1962 Brarkelew 625 3,019,621 2/1962 Lawson 62- 8/1965 Williams 6286 9/ 1965 Fulton 62-5 3/1966 Gitford 62-86 US. Cl. X.R. 

